"It's not exactly about [Whedon's film] The Avengers but is attached to it," Entertainment Weekly reports him as saying. "I can tell you it's a great story."

Lee described the spy drama - which will see Clark Gregg reprise his role of Agent Coulson - as "intense and epic and... funny and silly".

"[Joss has] just got that ability to be super-entertaining and sort of super educated," he explained. "We'll certainly be investing in it. It's a big franchise for us."

Whedon - who is attached to direct the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot - previously stated he will be involved with the ongoing series as his "schedule allows".

"For us to have Joss Whedon not only [attached to] the show but passionate about the show, directing and writing pilot... he's already working on the scripts," Lee revealed. "We shot it in LA to make sure he's free to work on it across his TV and feature life."

S.H.I.E.L.D. will also star Ming-Na, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain De Caestecker and Brett Dalton.